Still full of homemade stuffing, prime rib, and alcohol over here (and now homemade carrot cake!), but I figured I'd drop in quick and wish whoever's passing by a happy Thanksgiving (or if you're not American, a wonderful and completely random Thursday). Last year, I did a post on the group blog all about what I'm thankful for and went well for me this year, and that's kind of the aim for this post, but just on a smaller scale. It's easy to get mired in upsetting shit (boy do I know that well), but this is the best time in human history to be alive, so I should appreciate it more as we slip into Celebration Mode. Have an incoherent ramble meant for me and the relevant people and no one else.

As always, I'm really glad to have the current crop of Somnolians. These guys are terrifically talented, super bright, and very fun to hang out with. I'm so glad things have calmed down, and I'm hoping they stay that way. I dunno, maybe Savannah's planning to ditch us, but I hope not! Truth be told, there were absolutely a couple years in the group where it was effectively just betrayal after betrayal, people hating us or people dropping out of our lives, and it's just been so lovely for so long that I genuinely hope it never changes. If I have any top aim for 2026, it's to mend a few bridges here and there with people also. Peace and friendship do triumph over everything. Ask the Aftersleep kids.

I'm happy to finally have site stuff all sorted! I've been in love with the idea of making websites, having a website, having a domain, having my space on the Web literally since I was like 5 or 6 years old. Not having mari.somnol, my place, just this dumb landing page and some eventual plans for years on end, was such a quiet bummer that, especially when I got fired this year, I kicked into overdrive making it the most kickass, polished site in three flavors I could possibly put together. I'm so stoked, especially all the review stuff—believe it or not, I have many weeks of scheduled reading material rolling out frankly while I'm asleep every Monday and Saturday. Does your site do that? It might. Mine has badgers on it, though, so I win.

It's been tricky getting any art stuff going consistently this year, I must admit, but I have lots of reasons to try harder next year. I'm happier than ever with what I can do, I've finally gotten a decent presence where people actually give a shit about what I'm posting going on Tumblr (200% thanks to Caby, but even outside of her, better than I've gotten anywhere else), and I've gotten some mutuals starting to blossom! My aim has always been to be able to draw out my ideas and to make art friends, and I've managed both. I'm gonna keep nurturing that; I think come the end of next year, I'm gonna be thrilled with where it's all gone.

Speaking of Caby, another year and another trip to Wales is always reason to celebrate. I spent a couple months being depressed about it being over, but now I'm just thrilled it happened. I really need to finish up the last little bits on the trip diary and get it posted, but the photos I took, the stories we have, the places we went, and how utterly stocked up I am on games and music and shows to watch makes me feel extremely fortunate. I started this year off not sure if I'd end it even being in a relationship, and here we are, and stuff between us has literally never been this comfortable. About the only thing distracting us now is life, but it's her last year of college. Give it a little bit and she'll be visiting me as well and we'll have 2-3 months out of the year, maybe every year, together. Not sure what much else I want from life other than all the time in the world with my favorite person in the world.

And finally, I'm just happy home has been so good! You don't realize how much your surroundings affect you until they get noticeably better or worse. In general, it's just nice to see my long-suffering mom get some peace and plenty of walks in with one fewer person in her life to have to micromanage (no death, just an asshole who skedaddled). It's just her and I and my ailing grandmother around now, no police getting called, no fights, no aggravation, no sloth living in my living room. Contrary to my first point, it's not that I can't get along with people (again, if I can mend a few bridges here and there next year, that'd be cash money), it's just that people are nuts sometimes, and if they can't get on with you, maybe the best place for them is where they can't hurt you. I've been learning that lesson over the past many years, and I've well taken the wisdom from it.

Some random thank yous and bits of appreciation not covered by the above:

• The Aftersleep kids and especially bananabreadguy (loving all the Superkitty stuff, loving your OCs, do more!) for being around to chat and banter with night after night
• My real-life friend Logan for the opportunity to make up, scavenge nerd shops, and chat a lot together
• Moon and Wolfie and anyone who shows up for all the Tuesday streams, regardless of what PS2 schlock I happen to be enjoying
• Anyone from the Guitar Hero scene still occasionally up on what I'm up to, especially Felipe (for giving me some DMs to dump what I'm working on in month after month) and Colin (for some damn good song suggestions and years of appreciation of what I do). Hoping you all enjoy marfGH: Volume 1 out real soon now!
• Anyone who links to, follows, loves, or hates anything Somnolescent-related. The fact that this whole thing is going seven years strong next month in the shaky, shitty, ephemeral pretend world of the Internet is crazy. If nothing else, I'm not going anywhere, and you're why.

Think I'm gonna go clean up, zone out to PBS Create, and sober up before bed. Tomorrow, I've got a creative post for you guys. I'm alive, I'm able-bodied, and I've got ideas. What else do I need to go make cool stuff happen?

Tagged under: real-life